Looking for the best options for tent camping near Castle Dale? The Dyrt can help you find the best tent campsites for your next trip. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Castle Dale, Utah's most popular destinations.
The Swell is also known as a great place for dispersed camping. Dispersed camping is a term used for camping outside of a designated campground. For those looking to strike off and find the ideal spot to pitch your tent, keep in mind that there are no services – no trash removal, no facilities, no access to water, meaning it is NOT for the casual camper.
The Joe's Valley Bouldering Area offers world class bouldering opportunities with over 188 bouldering sites and 9.7 miles of social trails in the area. The campground is being developed in 2017 and will offer metal fire rings, picnic tables and camping pads.
Bellevue Flats is the staging area for the 4 primitive routes in Sids Mountain WSA
Ferron Canyon Picnic Area is a small picnic area near the Black Dragon Trailhead on the Ferron Canyon Road. It is set along Ferron Creek at 6400' elevation and offers a quiet, shady spot for a picnic, or for a rest after a hike. There is one vault toilet available during open season.
Upper Joes Valley Campground is located at ~7340' elevation at the lower end of Upper Joes Valley, just south of the intersection of Millers Flat Road and Lowry Water Road. The campground is close to Indian Creek in a treed area dotted with sagebrush. The trees offer shade for most campers and provide spectacular autumn color. Many trails criss-cross the surrounding valley and mountainsides and visitors to the campground enjoy exploring the area trails on foot, on horseback, or by riding mountain bikes or off-highway vehicles (OHV). There are no amenities within the campground. Roads and spurs within the campground are dirt. Nearby attractions include the Joes Valley Recreation Area and the expansive Arapeen ATV Trail System, which has over 350 miles of designated, well-maintained OHV trails suitable for all riding skill levels.
The Ferron - Muddy Creek Recreation Area is a favorite for campers and fishers. It begins at Wagon Ridge Road on the north and extends south to the Forest Boundary. From foothills near Ferron, Utah it extends west to Skyline Drive. It is located in Emery, Sanpete and Sevier counties and the closest towns are Ferron and Emery, Utah. It can be most easily accessed from SR-10 and I-70. Portions of the Arapeen OHV Trail System are in this recreation area, small reservoirs and dispersed camping sites offer great opportunities for fun on the Forest.
For a description of this site, please contact the Price Ranger District: 435-636-3500.
Traveling over the Wasatch Plateau between the towns of Fairview and Huntington, the Huntington Canyon Scenic Byway makes up half of the Energy Loop, a National Scenic Byway. The byway passes through the Manti-Lasal National Forest and provides excellent views of the mountain tops and valleys below. Huntington Canyon is filled with the history of the region, especially evident is the history of the Mormon pioneers who settled the area. Don't pass up the opportunity to travel Huntington Canyon Scenic Byway.
Ranger
Stayed here for a night after a long drive. We wanted to take showers and not have to search for a site. Hot showers, nice staff, dog park. Close to the highway and we backed right up to a motel 6 that was very busy all night. Dogs not allowed at tent sites, but luckily they made a last minute exception for us at the very end tent site.
Guide
Each tent site has a pad and a shelter that has a shade panel. There is no parking next to the site, but it is small walk to the site. The tent sites are spaced far apart and some are tucked behind the Goblins.
There is a good restroom facility with running water and showers that do not need a token or coins. There are 4 showers. Overall, this is a great place to stay.
Guide
I've camped at this campground twice now; once in August of 2020 and once in July of 2021. Both times the experience has been good. The campsite has potable water and vault toilets. Before my two visits, I reserved my sites on recreation.gov. This made the experience hassle-free.
One thing to note is that although you can tent camp at this site, the majority of campers are those using RVs. I enjoyed my experience tent camping. However, if you are somehow bothered by RVs or excess noise, you might want to find another campground.
Overall, a good place to stay and I will certainly be back.
RangerUtah has such a wide variety of geology and Goblin Valley campground is in the middle of it. Sites are a bit close together, but they have shelters over the tables and there are some walk-in tent sites that are more secluded. Nice, free showers too.
GuideThere are only 11 asphalt paved RV camp sites. There are 14 tent sites.
Each site has a covered pavilion with a picnic table, fire ring and a tent site. Drinking water is located throughout the campground. The bathrooms have flushing toilets and hot water in the sinks. They are spotless! The showers are equally as clean. There are no bad views here! The hiking and biking trails are right there.
This one is one of my favorites!
Go!
Scout
Group sites are great for large RVs. Big fire ring area, multiple tables and restrooms with flushing toilets. Most campsites aren’t long enough for RVs over 20ft. Perfect for tent camping.
LegendWe came in winter this time and got a tent camp easily, only one other group was camping. If you dont want to tent camp in the winter they also have yurts for rent. We had a different approach to Goblin Valley this time around and decided to do the Lair of the Basilisk (Goblins Lair) canyoneering route. We got to hike in and around snow covered hoodoos that culminates in a 100' drop into the lair! It is truly a magical place and worth a visit! You can also get ti the lair by a now popular marked trail around the east side of the park. 60 m rope recommended plus helmets.
GuideGoblin Valley is a beautiful area. We camped about 20 minutes from the actual valley. Plenty of space for big groups. Easy to get trailers there. Good for tent camping as long as you have a tarp to lay down first since it’s a bit rocky. Dogs are allowed. It’s a beautiful area.
GuideWe stopped in and got a site when we got tired of looking for a campsite in Moab. Clean restrooms and showers. Not much shade and I70 a mile away. We tent camped so the hwy was very loud and the cows in the adjacent field were mooing for a few hours at night. Otherwise, it did it's job by providing us with a place to stay
Legend
Ashley here with The Dyrt. We're happy to have this partner on our platform. They offer spacious pull-through RV spots, luxury cabins and Tipis(Teepees), as well as tent sites and a group area for rent. There are bathrooms, showers, and a laundry facility on site. Book your stay with them today and leave your review here!
Traveler
Nine Mile Ranch is a great campground outside of Wellington, UT and a good base camp to check out Nine Mile Canyon. They have historic cabins they have used for camping cabins, RV and tent sites. Bathrooms and showers were very clean. Super friendly and knowledgeable camp host. I would definitely stay again!
Traveler
Stayed in a cabin as we were too tired to set up a tent. Tent sites are almost non existent. Showers were clean. The door to our cabin had some pretty severe gaps. And overall there was faint but lingering smell of hot garbage. Also noting it pretty much was a KOA at one time. Playground is old and full of garbage/food wrappers containers.
RangerThe site is located really close to a major road near the highway and thus a lot of noise if tent camping. I would imagine that RVs would be less bothered. Showers and bathrooms were OK, and staff seemed receptive to feedback about them. Nice pool, deck chairs and slide for the kids. Store is well-stocked. Nice little discount at the restaurant across the parking lot for KOA residents.
LegendGeneral: Small campground with 24 sites, and two yurts. Sites are designated as RV or tent with the main difference being that the tent sites have multiple vehicle pads right next to each other. We did see some vans in the tent sites and in November, that was not a problem. All camping is dry camping. Each site has a covered picnic table with side shelters, not needed when we were there in November but a necessity in the warmer months, and a fire pit.
Site Quality: All camper pads are paved and level. Some were pull-thru and others back-in. The ones on the exterior of the loop have the best views IMO.
Bathhouse: (automatic) flush toilets, two sinks, paper towels, and soap. There were showers but they were closed for the season as of November 6.
Activities: There are three valleys filled with hoodoos. No distinct trails so you can wander freely among the hoodoos. Several moderately challenging hiking trails, including one directly from the campground (Entrada). We did the Caramel Canyon Loop which included several scrambles in narrow canyons (but doable for two seniors – 65 and 71 years old in good physical shape). There are also designated biking trails and horseback riding is allowed in the Red Canyon Primitive area.
We were last here 35 years ago, but it was so much fun to explore the area again. Utah State Parks are getting pricey (not the only expensive state) but this one is worth it IMO. It is a photographer's dream!
Guide
Castle Gate RV Park is a newly built RV park, with cabins and tent sites available as well! The splash pad is perfect for kiddos! The Book Cliffs make for a beautiful back drop for photos at any angle! Plus this campground is WALKING distance from the adorable town of Helper, UT. Museums, restaurants, shops, art galleries! There are hiking trails galore near by, and OHV trails too! You can take off straight from your campsite!
GuideWe have camped at Goblin Valley State Park twice now and the fact that we went back a second time should be enough of a compliment to the park. We stayed in site 11 the first time and site 3 the second time. Both are amazing tent sites! I would also highly recommend site 12 or site 4 because those sites are tucked back off the road a bit and are right up close to the formations behind the sites. You really can’t go wrog with any of them though. The tent pads are perfect and both sites fit our 11x11 dome tent. We did not need the rainfly so we could see the stars out the top. This is a dark sky park so be sure to book you nights during a new moon so you can see the milky way galaxy.
I do think this park is a little high for a state park site at $30 a night for a tent site, but you do get free showers, clean facilities, and a very peaceful park so it is worth a little extra. I would go back again.
Bonus for this campground is the great little area of goblins. My kids loved wandering around among them. It’s a kooky looking area.
On the downside, it is a long way from anywhere so fill up and bring ample food and water along. If you want to get away from civilization, this is your place!
GuideThe 9 mile Canyon Ranch has a little bit of everything. RV spots, tent camping, cabins. There are clean bathrooms and showers for $3. You can hammock in some spots. Best to call in ahead so they get you a best part with some of the trees.
Beautiful area. No service but there is Wi-Fi at the house. The lady there was SUPER nice and answered all my questions and was very willing to help and make sure I had a good stay.
I slept in my Bronco but my spot had a campfire and picnic table. Enjoyed my stay.
GuideWe just stopped for a night on a longer trip from Oregon to the midwest. This was a typical KOA in my opinion - pool, playground, showers, shop, full hookups, pull through sites, etc.
Tent camping area was pretty small, but close to the bathrooms and pool for kiddos.
We were only here for the night but it was VERY hot that afternoon (90 degrees) and without shade, it's hard to stay cool.
Showers and bathrooms were clean and staff was very nice. 10% discount at the restaurant next door if you mention you are staying here. Bonus for us as we did NOT want to try to make anything when it was 98 degrees out!
Campground is off the highway but we didn't hear any noise that night at all.
Legend
We stayed here twice this summer and really liked it both times. All the tenting campsites are on the Millsite Reservoir but if you go higher than site number 17 you are a bit further from the water. The campground is open, so not totally private, but it was so quiet it didn't really matter. We went for a couple of hikes in the Ferron Canyon which you can walk to, and they have paddle boarding on the reservoir which we didn't have time to do. They don't have typical fire rings on the ground - they are up off the ground. See photo.
Legend
Campground Review: Price Canyon Campground
I stayed at the Price Canyon campground on my way for a mountain biking weekend in Moab. This campground was at the top of Price Canyon but the access road was right off the highway. It is a single lane switchback road with the last quarter mile being easy dirt road so longer trailers may have a few challenges. It is a mixture of single and group sites all for the same price. There is a nature trail from the campsite (that is also accessible from the day use area) that takes you higher up the canyon. The hike was nice and I would recommend close toed shoes as the second half/ has a section that is pretty steep around large rocks/boulders, and loose dirt. I didn’t do the whole hike made it to the top of the ridge. There is also a picnic/overlook area not far from the campground that had great views of Price Canyon.
Pros:
Overall it was very peaceful and I will definitely be staying here again.
Cons:
*Lots of buzzing insects around. The bugs weren’t bad but you could hear the buzzing which was quite annoying.
Gear Review: Leatherman Signal Multi-tool
As a ranger for the Dyrt, I get the opportunity to test out gear from our partners once in a while. I have had the privilege of testing out the Leatherman Signal Multi-tool. First off, this tool is the bomb! It has 19 different functions and will pretty much be the go-to tool for camping or outdoor adventure. It is quite large so not ideal for light weight backpacking but great for car camping or any activity where you are not super concerned about weight. For the most part, it lives in the glove compartment of my car so I will always have it for quick use.
Pros:
Cons:
Summary: The Signal is one of the best multi-tools I have ever had and just having it with me whenever I am exploring outdoors makes me feel more secure in case something happens.
ScoutCalled a few days ago for reservation, was very easy and a friendly voice on the phone. Same voice checked me in with a wonderful story of rescued cats as I'm traveling with my two cats. Found my site was perfect for my tent and my truck is right next to it. Lots of amenities, ready access to the Green River and tons more sight seeing. Come make this your launching pad for Utah's beauty
LegendOur group was approaching Goblin Valley State Park around 8 pm and stopped at a gas station in Hanksville, Utah. A worker at the station gave us the great advice to save a few dollars and enjoy a more desolate camping experience by utilizing the BLM land along UT-24. We took a 4x4 road (38.460945, 110.674291) and drove up for about 15 minutes to the top of a ridge line at dusk until we found a flat spot to pitch our tent and an existing fire ring. When we woke up we were astounded by the magnificent views. I would definitely recommend camping here if you are in the area and looking for a primitive spot to get away from civilization in the desert.
LegendThe goblin Valley Campground is located within goblin Valley State Park in Utah. This is pretty much in the middle of nowhere between Hanksville and Green River on a 12 miles off detour off Highway 24. The park itself provides access to a rare and bizarre landscape of rock formation some assembling goblins mushrooms and other spires which is pretty unique to the area. The campground is nestled on the edge of some of these rock for atto a in a really scenic location. Covered picnic tables fire rings we’re also provided and a paved driveway and tent pads were also provided. No water, electric hook-ups. However, despite a fairly steep price for a standard non-electric site ( $30) minimal facilities were offered. The bathrooms and showers were closed for the season (it was late December) ang there was only access to a pit toilet near the yurts a little walk away from the campsites. There were flushing toilets a couple of miles away at the visitor center and a at the major view point over the valley of goblins. no cell reception on either Verizon or AT&T.
Traveler
We stayed this weekend (early May 2021) at the Swinging Bridge South Campground and had a great time. The campground includes:
The cost is $15 per night with a limit to 2 vehicles per site and up to 10 people per site, with half-price discounts for National Parks/Interagency Passes. There are neither trash receptacles on-site nor potable water, so plan to pack in/pack out.
This dog-friendly BLM campground made a great home base for adventuring in the Buckhorn Wash and Little Grand Canyon overlook area. There was minimal road noise at night, though you can hear neighboring campers since it's a fairly open campground. On our night it was rather windy so plan to bring strong tie-downs for your ground tent if you plan to use the tent pads.
GuideCamped here with our tent while passing through on the way to TX. Peaceful and nice star views!
TravelerI stayed at the campground for one night. As with all Utah State Parks we have stayed the place was clean and well maintained. I am so impressed with Utah State Parks.
Guide
This was a great site to stop and pitch my rooftop tent. Not too far up the canyon, and it was very quiet. It is RIGHT next to a mountain bike trail, so expect some early-morning bikers to be coming down.
Overall, it was a great place to camp.
Nestled in the heart of Utah, Castle Dale offers a variety of tent camping options that cater to outdoor enthusiasts seeking adventure and tranquility in nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Castle Dale, UT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Castle Dale, UT is Willow Creek Road - Dispersed Site with a 5-star rating from 3 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Castle Dale, UT?
TheDyrt.com has all 26 tent camping locations near Castle Dale, UT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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